Vehicle-spring construction



Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

WILLIAM H. HILL,

OF CANTON, OHIO.

VEHICLE-SPRING CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

Application filed" October 3, 1919. Serial No. 828,221.

To all whom it may con ern lie it known that 1, WILLIAM ll. HILL, acitizen of the United States, residing at Canton, Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Spring Construction, ofwhich the following is a clear. full, and exact description.

This invention relates to vehicle springs and has for its general objectto provide a vehicle spring construction which will furnish n moreeffective cushion than known sprin 's for the shocks and jars to which avehicle is subjected in traveling, which will not require hearings ormeans for lubricat ing bearings, which can be connected to the vehiclein a simple manner and which will not require as much attention at thepoints of connection as known springs.

Other objects and important features of the invention will appear fromthe following description and claims when considered in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation partlyin sectlOIL showing a spring embodying the invention and so much of theassociated body and chassis of the vehicle as are necessary toillustrate the use of the spring;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of one of the spring sup ports Fig. 3 is adetail view of one of the spring clamps; and

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the springclamp.

As shown in the drawings, the main part of the spring, in which the ll1\ention is embodied. is of the semi-elliptic leaf spring type. theillustrated spring being shown as having its concave face and itslongest leaf 2 on the upper side. Instead of being connected to a springshackle or other spring bearing by means of a 100 or an eye formed inthe uppermost spring eat, the spring of the present invention has theuppermost leaf 2 extended and curved at its ends to form spirals 4 whichare shown as rcversely curved so that they encircle the clamps 6 inwhich the ends 8 of the leaf and of the spirals are held, each of thespirals preferably extending to the inner side of the spring support 10in which the clamp 6 is carried.

It will be noted that the s )ring support 10 is preferably made in themm of a fork or yoke so that the upper part of the spiral 4 may passthrough between two sides of support i the support and above the clamp 6and then hicle by any suitable and well-known spring clamp 1.6.

To facilitate the clamping of the ends 8 of the spring leaf and of thespirals 4 in the supports 10, the supports 10 and clamp (i arepreferably of the special construction illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.From an inspection of these figures it will be shown that each side ofthe support 10 has a downwardly extending part 18 adapted to fit into arecess 20 in the side of each of the spring clamp members 22,- 24, andhas upon each side of this extension a flange 26 to receive the clampingbolts which pass through the clamp members and said flanges. The upperclamp member 20 preferably has a shoulder 28 to insure its propercentering between the legs of the spring support, and each of the clampmembers preferably also has a channel 30 to receive the end 8 01" thespring leaf 2, each channel being shallow enough so that the twochannels do not equal the thickness of the spring.

From the foregoing description, the operation and utility of the novelspring construction will be apparent. Vhen the semielliptie intermediateportion of the spring is flexed so that the spring tends to straighten,the outward movement of the ends of this intermediate portion will causean unwinding action of the spirals 4 without any tendency to disturb theconnection of the end 8 of the spiral with the spring Sudden sharpshocks or jolts will be taken up in the spirals it without perceptiblebending of the intermediate seiui-elliptic part of the spring, theextension of the spirals 4 both above and below the clam )5 6 providingample space and flexibility i tion.

\Vhat I claim as new is:

1. A vehicle spring having its ends rigidly held and comprising asemi-elliptic intermediate portion and a reversely curved spiral betweenthe intermediate portion and each end.

2 A vehicle spring of the leaf sprin type having one leaf rigidly h'eldat its on s and or this shock absorbing ac-l comprising a semi-ellipticintermediate portion, and a reversely curved spiral. between saidintermediate portion and each end.

3. In a vehicle spring construction, the

5 combination with fixedly spaced spring supports, of a spring of theleaf spring type having one leaf rigidly connected at its rcspectiveends to said spring supports and comprising an intermediatesemi-elliptic 1o portion and a spiral between said inter mediatc portionand each connected end, said spiral extending-to the inner side of thenssocintcrl spring support and cncircling the point of connection.

Signed at (Hinton, )hio, thin 25 day of 15 September, 1919.

WILL] .\M H. HILL.

\Vitness: V

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